Issue no 350 15th April 2007
Top Story
TWO ANGOLAN OPERATORS OFFER VoIP SERVICE
Although there is no formal law governing VoIP in Angola, existing operator MS Telecom and the new venture Mundo Startel are both operating voice on IP networks. MS Telecom was put together through a process of consolidating existing ISPs. Angolan ISP Nexus bought Ebonet and it was in turn absorbed into Sonangola subsidiary MS Telecom. MS Telecom operates in the fixed line and Internet markets but is largely focused on corporate customers. It has ambitious roll-out plans including investing in a metropolitan fibre network in Luanda and using WiMAX to connect to this network. Next it will roll-out to three…
Telecoms
GOVERNMENT SHOULD ACT OR GET OUT OF TELKOM SOUTH AFRICA
One thing clearly emerging from the loss of Telkom's CEO last week is the uncomfortable -- if not impossible -- conflict between the company's government owners and the private sector.…
Telecoms
FRANCE TELECOM ACQUIRES MOBILE AND INTERNET LICENSE IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Following the recent acquisition of mobile licenses in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea, France Telecom announced last week that it has further strengthened its presence in Africa by acquiring a mobile and…
Telecoms
BT TERMINATES AGREEMENT WITH TRANSCORP IN NIGERIA CITING LACK OF CAPITAL AND GOVERNANCE
British Telecom (BT) has pulled out of the technical services agreement with Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp) for the management of NITEL and its mobile subsidiary, MTel. Transcorp, with BT as…
Telecoms
ORANGE WARNS COMPETITORS OVER LICENCE IN BOTSWANA
Orange Botswana warned its competitors last week that the issuing of service neutral licences is coming at a time when it is working on a new strategy to give customers…
Telecoms
ETISALAT DEFERS EGYPT OPERATIONS
Etisalat has pushed back the start of commercial operations in Egypt by two months and will now launch in May, a top company official confirmed last week. Etisala Egypt ,…
Telecoms
Telecoms News - In Brief
- According to Yemen Times, Sudan’s regulator the National Telecom Corporation has granted SabaFon a licence to operate a GSM network following a recent tender and evaluation process. - Nigeria’s…
Internet
INTERNET CENSORSHIP ON THE INCREASE IN TUNISIA
Omar Mestiri, the editor of the opposition online newspaper "Kalima", is the victim of judicial harassment, Reporters Without Borders has said of a libel suit that could result in a…
Internet
KENYA, BURUNDI AND MADAGASCAR SECURE FUNDS FOR HI-SPEED INTERNET
Kenya, Burundi and Madagascar have secured a US$164.5 million loan from the World Bank to help roll-out high-speed Internet networks. The World Bank said the money was being made available…
Internet
LIBYA, COTE D'IVOIRE GET TOP LEVEL DOMAIN NAMES
Following the conclusion of the 28th public session of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in the Portuguese city of Lisbon, Africa topped the agenda as two…
Internet
NIGERIA’S FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OKAYS N1.2B FOR CYBERSECURITY DIRECTORATE
The Federal Government has released N1.2 billion to its new Directorate for Cybersecurity (DfC) to respond to security issues associated with growing usage of internet and other information and communication…
Internet
Internet News - In Brief
- Competition for a contract to build a broadband “blanket” across Johannesburg is proving fierce, with 24 companies answering an initial request for information. - Tender bids for the connection…
Computing
SUB-COUNTIES GET DATABASE IN UGANDA
The Ugandan Government is set to spend about USH1bn to design a community information system data base. The system will simplify the dissemination of information by the Government. It will…
Computing
IT STAFF 'LACK INNOVATION' IN SOUTH AFRICA
Local software developers are lacking in talent and innovation, stoking a high level of dissatisfaction among companies that employ them or use their products. A severe lack of innovation and…
Computing
UBUNTU PLANS NEW ULTRA-FREE VERSION
In the usual announcement to the Ubuntu developer list Ubuntu founder Mark Suttleworth this morning announced the name of the next Ubuntu release plus one, due out in October 2007:…
Computing
RITA, US FIRM IN ICT DEAL IN RWANDA
The Rwanda Information and Technology Authority (RITA) and SolidWorks Corporation, a US firm, have entered into a deal to boost Information, Communication and Technology in the country. According to a…
Computing
Computer News - In Brief
- Nigeria's premier Independent ATM Deployer (IAD), Consortium and operator of QuickCash brand of ATM network has completed its Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV) certification interface, making it the first independent…
Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage
TELECOMS, RATES, OFFERS AND COVERAGE
- Globacom, Nigeria's second national carrier, is set to launch a 3G service following the conclusion of the payment of the $150 million license fee for its licence. The other…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
ACCESSKENYA’S IPO RECEIVES APPROVAL FROM NSE
AccessKenya Group shareholders approved the Group’s IPO plans at an Extraordinary General Meeting last week. The AccessKenya Group has been given approval to start receiving applications for shares in its…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
LIBYAN TAKES OVER UTL IN UGANDA
A Libyan company, Libya African Portfolio (LAP) Greencom has finally taken over Ugandan Telecom Limited, (UTL), after acquiring Ucom, the majority shareholder in Uganda's largest fixed line telephone operator. In…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
BLACK GROUP BUYS 7 PERCENT OF DIALOGUE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Call-centre specialist the Dialogue Group has sold 7% of its shares to black-owned media and communications group MSG Afrika Investment Holdings for R24m. This is the AltX-listed company's first step…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
GHANA FIGHTS FOR OUTSOURCING BUSINESS
Ghana has been working hard to have a business processing outsourcing (BPO) presence. In November 2005, Ghana commissioned Hewitt Associates of India to probe the country's key strengths and weaknesses…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
CRANE BUYOUT SET TO HOIST EARNINGS AT DATATEC SOUTH AFRICA
Datatec is splashing out R290m to buy Crane Telecommunications, a European distributor of voice and data communications services. The move will cost up to £20.7m and will be paid for…
Mergers, Acquisitions and Financial Results
On The Money - In Brief
- South Africa’s second national operator Neotel hopes to spend R230m taking over Transtel Telecoms' networking infrastructure. The in-principle deal is subject to the two parties reaching a full agreement…
Digital Content
THE NEW TIMES ONLINE GETS FACELIFT IN RWANDA
The New Times Online has improved its interface to serve online readers better.The websites' interface was changed recently to give readers in the diaspora more opportunity to explore with more…
Digital Content
ONLINE JOB-HUNTING ON THE RISE IN SOUTH AFRICA
Online job-seekers are more experienced and older than is traditionally believed, and visitors to online job boards spend more time engaging with the Web site than in other information-only Web…
Digital Content
Web And Mobile Data News - In Brief
- The Algerian Interior Ministry has launched a website www.legislatives2007.dz to offer a complete panel of information to electors. This site, in Arabic and French, "provides news in details about…
Web and Mobile Data_old
SOUTH AFRICA’S STATE DENIES INTERFERING ON TV LICENCES WITH ICASA
The communications department has sought to allay fears that it is interfering in the issuing of new pay-TV licences by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) by imposing a…
Web and Mobile Data_old
NCC'S COPYRIGHT REGULATION 2006 SEEKS TO STRAP PIRATES OUT OF BUSINESS
DR. Adebambo Adewopo, Director General of Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC appears set on making many more enemies with his resolve to drive pirates and incidents of piracy in the Nigerian…
Web and Mobile Data_old
Convergence News - In Brief
- Johnnic Communications (Johncom) announced this morning that it would be split into two separately listed companies. The announcement follows in the wake of the sale of Johncom's M-Net and…
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PEOPLE
- West Africa Telecommunication Regulators Assembly (WATRA) has appointed Nnamdi Nwokike its Executive Secretary for a term of three years. - The following four women have been appointed to the…
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EVENTS
- E-LIBERIA: VISION 2010 23 April 2007, Morovia, Liberia E-Liberia:Vision 2010 will take place in Monrovia the week of 23 April, 2007. The program will include the unveiling of the…
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JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
CONSULTANT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL ICT BILL FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA The consultant shall on basis of assessment and analysis of the existing ICT legislations (e-commerce…
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CONTRACTS: WHO'S SELLING WHAT TO WHOM?
VERIFONE AND INTERSWITCH - NIGERIA VeriFone Holdings Incorporated has secured further deals with InterSwitch, a transaction switching and electronic payment processing company to roll out general packets radio service (GPRS)-enabled…
